I Spy With My Little Eye

It looks like the rainy season is now behind us. Apart from a short, dramatic downpour the other night, the regular pattern of rain every afternoon has come to halt. I’m no weather girl but I’m prepared to wager a bet that the dry season has arrived. Another most welcome arrival is that of my daughter Serena, and her best-friend Kalisha from London. These two wise women came bearing gifts of marmite, vodka, a colossal amount of mature cheddar (which was smuggled through customs in a pair of knickers) bourbon biscuits, custard creams, Branston Pickle, tea bags, Bisto gravy granules and even a bag of pork scratchings. Life doesn’t get much better than this.

Shadows of frangipani leaves on house

How does your garden glow?

Yesterday morning we walked to the beach. The girls wanted to get in some sunbathing and go swimming but mother is now too fat for her swimming costume (there is only so much give in Lycra) so I covered my modesty and lay under a parasol and started reading C.G Jung on Nature, Technology & Modern Life. Despite the fact that I was languishing, fully clothed in the shade I still managed to get sunburnt. This morning I’m sporting an unsightly bright red ‘V’ stretching from my neck down and across my décolletage.

Leaves in the garden against blue walls.

Weeds growing by side of road

Our friendly neighbourhood dentistHigh as a kiteThrough the beer glassSerena and KalishaI believe that this is what is known as a ‘selfie’

22 thoughts on “I Spy With My Little Eye”

The photos are stunning Lottie. The leaves, the kite, through a glass darkly or whatever, just glorious. Marmite is always on the expat shopping list. You can get it in HK but very expensive. Smuggling cheddar in knickers??? Whatever next. Did the sniffer dogs (or their masters) not check them out. Pork scratchings in Indonesia. Is that not against shari’ah law? A blockbuster of a post, Empress. CMP!!

We can’t get Marmite for love nor money in Jakarta. Vegemite is available in some supermarkets but it’s not the same (sorry my Australian friends) and it’s very expensive.

The cheddar in the knickers …..It’s quite something that the knicker sniffers and the sniffer dogs failed to find it, maybe they all had bad colds? It’s that eye-watering extra strong variety with a thick rind. Absolutely delicious and such a treat.

Blinkin ‘eck, I hadn’t even thought about the pork scratchings – fortunately they came straight to Hindu Bali, I’d have been devastated if they’d been confiscated!

I’m still trying to figure out how they got the cheese past inspection! It’s a mystery how they got it through. I held up the queue at LAX Airport with a tiny packet of satay sauce last year, and another friend had problems getting a packet of digestive biscuits through.

You take beautiful photographs Yvonne so I won’t hear another word about shame. Yours are gorgeous 😀

It’s such fun having the girls to stay, they are great fun and good company. Fabulous cooks too!

Great! You have a very creative eye Lottie. Couldn’t sleep so got up in the middle of the night and was treated to this fine collection. And I agree that you need to get out from behind the space helmet. 🙂

I also have problems sleeping, or rather I go to sleep and then wake up in the middle of the night. instead of battling with it I get up, put the kettle on (Rat sex permitting!) and settle down to reading blogs, catching up with emails etc.
If I’m lucky, after an hour or so I’m sleepy enough to go back to bed for a bit but it’s quite common for my day to start around 3.30 or 4am.

Lottie! How wonderful to have Serena visit with Kalisha! I’m sure it much be special to have your daughter with you in Indonesia. Awesome, too, to get some goods from London — Have a great time! xoxoxo

This is my second visit to this post; I just had to come back. The photos are fab as always, but I am intrigued by the ‘mature’ cheese, smuggled in knickers no less. Your friends are at least creative. I’d settle for Vegemite, even though it doesn’t touch Marmite.